Today I’m showing you how to make the perfect simple gravy from scratch! This luxuriously smooth brown gravy has such amazing rich and flavorful taste, and is a must-have on turkey, ham, mashed potatoes for the holidays!
Made with butter, chicken broth, chicken bouillon, and Worcestershire sauce, our traditional gravy recipe from scratch is ready under 10 minutes, and can be made with or without drippings. If you are wondering how to make gravy from scratch …you came to the right place … and you won’t believe how easy it is!
Easy Homemade Gravy
As we approach the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season, I feel the need to share this ridiculously easy and delicious homemade brown gravy recipe with you, so you can smother it all over your Turkey and Ham!
If you are one of those people who thinks making yummy gravy from scratch is a hard task, I am making it my mission to change your mind! 😉
Here’s what we are looking at: 15 minutes, 7 ingredients, 1 pot.
Yep. You heard me right. That is all you need to make that luscious, creamy gravy from scratch that you smother on turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and stuffing and every else in between!
I’m making this homemade gravy without drippings, and I will show you that you can actually make truly flavorful gravy without drippings.
The best part about making gravy without drippings is that you can make this it ahead of time! Which offers such flexibility when you are cooking a huge holiday meal.
If you decide you really want those drippings in there, no worries, I got you covered as well! Instructions for gravy with drippings are also included.
While my no-dripping gravy is seriously da bomb, if you have pan drippings from a roasted turkey or chicken, gravy with drippings is actually super yummy and has a lot of depth in flavor. You can’t go wrong either way!
If I am cooking for a lot of people and need to cook ahead, I like to make my gravy with no drippings. But if I have lots of time and want a more gourmet gravy, I like those drippings in there.
So in a nutshell, everything you need to know about making the best, easiest homemade gravy from scratch ever is here!
Ingredients for Gravy
Saying ‘I’m going to make gravy from scratch’ sounds like a such a big deal, but here’s the thing, there’s only a few ingredients involved, and you probably already have them in your pantry!
Here’s what goes into making this easy and tasty brown gravy:
- Salted butter (or drippings) – basically fat of some kind. It’s not the healthiest but it sure contributes to the richness of the gravy! 🙂
- Flour – used as a thickener for the gravy. Cornstarch may be used as a substitute.
- Chicken stock – or chicken (bone) broth.
- Chicken bouillon – a seasoning that dissolves in the chicken broth which adds to the richness of the gravy. When gravy is made with drippings from a piece of meat, this ingredient is not necessary as the drippings would contain a substantial amount of chicken or beef flavorings.
- Worcestershire sauce – brings a savory and sweet flavor, with a hint of tanginess.
- Salt & pepper to taste – critical for opening up the savory flavor in the gravy. Note that if using drippings, both the salt and pepper may become unnecessary, depending on how the meat the drippings were from was seasoned.
How to make brown gravy from scratch
Roux – Butter and Flour
All gravy from scratch starts with a roux base. A roux is a French culinary term, is basically a mixture of flour and fat (in our case, butter), which is commonly used to thicken sauces.
To make a roux, heat a non-stick pot (at least 2 quart) on medium heat with butter. Once the butter is completely melted, add all-purpose flour. Let that sit for 20 – 30 seconds undisturbed, and then stir or whisk until a brown paste forms.
Important: avoid burning butter, I typically turn down heat slightly when needed.
Whisk in Stock/Broth and Seasonings
Once the flour and butter roux is ready, keep whisking (this will produce a smooth texture for your gravy), and slowly pour chicken broth into the pot. Keep whisking as you bring to a boil.
Add chicken bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, and stir to dissolve completely. Bring the pot to a boil.
Continue to stir or whisk gravy as it simmers on stovetop. Sauce reducing will typically happen fairly quickly once it comes to a boil, and flour and butter roux will produce a thick texture in gravy from scratch fairly quickly.
Once gravy thickens (which should only take a minute or so), remove from heat.
Taste the gravy. Add salt to taste. Stir in black pepper as well.
Check for Consistency and Taste
The gravy will further thicken as it cools, so aim for slightly runnier consistency if you plan to let it sit for a bit before serving.
Adjust for consistency and flavor accordingly:
- Is gravy too thick? Add more chicken stock.
- Is gravy too thin? Add more flour or cornstarch.
- Need to make it more flavorful? Use salt and pepper to open up flavors, and add Worcestershire sauce to increase depth of flavor.
If you are on the fence whether to buy store bought gravy or make it from scratch … you should TOTALLY MAKE IT!
Gravy tastes so much better when they are made from scratch, it calls for pantry friendly ingredients, and is so quick and easy to make!
Don’t be intimidated by the words “from scratch”, because it is definitely not as hard as it sounds! Trust me. 🙂
How to make gravy using drippings
I just walked through how we make gravy from scratch without using drippings, now let’s talk about making homemade gravy with pan drippings from roasts.
Pan drippings can be obtained from roasts such as turkey, chicken, ham etc. The juices from cooking these meats is really where all the yummy flavor lies. It will surely level up the gravy!
If using drippings, you will basically follow the instructions above and make the changes below.
- Use pan drippings instead of butter. Pan drippings usually carry an incredible lot of flavor and is always yummy in gravy
- Use less (or completely omit) chicken bouillon. Start by adding only half of a bouillon, taste and then add more if needed.
- Make sure to adjust for consistency and taste at the end – you may need more/less salt, broth, flour etc. There is more variability in the flavors from drippings so taste and adjust accordingly at the end.
Making Ahead and Reheating
You can totally make gravy ahead of time for your Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, especially if you do not plan to use drippings to make it.
To make ahead, follow recipe as instructed, then bring gravy to room temperature and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (or freezer for up to two months).
Remember that gravy thickens as it sits, so the consistency may look off when refrigerated or frozen. Even so, the gravy can be reheated and tweaked to become smooth again.
To reheat, defrost completely if frozen, then heat in a pot under low heat until gravy is boiling. Add more chicken stock to thin out gravy if needed. Whisk gravy continuously while reheating to smooth out lumps. You can also use the microwave oven for this, just take it out to stir at regular intervals.
Tips and Tricks
A few things to take notes when you are making homemade gravy from scratch:
- Use softened butter: Use room temperature butter or soften butter before using for best results.
- Use medium low heat: Stir continuously as gravy cooks and cook it on medium low after it boils. High heat will burn gravy at the bottom of the pan.
- Whisk away! I know I am repeating myself, but using a whisk to whisk continuously throughout the cooking process is so important to smooth out gravy and avoid lumps!
- Taste and adjust:
- If consistency is too thick … add more chicken broth (a tablespoon at a time)
- If consistency is too thin … add more flour (one tablespoon at a time)
- If gravy needs to be saltier … add a pinch of salt
- If gravy needs to be less salty … add more chicken broth
- If gravy is lacking depth of flavor … add a pinch of salt to open up the flavors
- If gravy needs more tang … add another splash of Worcestershire sauce
Frequently Asked Questions
You can 1) boil gravy for longer so it thickens, or 2) add more all purpose flour.
1) Add more chicken stock or drippings
2) Do not cook for too long. Remove from heat promptly after it reaches desired consistency so it doesn’t continues to thicken.
Yes, gravy freezes well. When ready to reheat, bring it to a complete defrost and then heat in a pot or microwave. You may need to add additional chicken stock or water to thin it out slightly.
Add more salt to open up the flavors. If it’s still not flavorful enough, add chicken bouillon. If you’d like, you can add other herbs and spices such as garlic, thyme, rosemary or poultry seasoning as well.
Experiment with herbs and spices! You can add garlic and onion powders, and herbs like rosemary and thyme.
ENJOYED THIS RECIPE? Tell us what you think by leaving a rating and review below! 🤍
What to serve with gravy
Here are some yummy recipes to serve with homemade gravy:
- Pineapple Baked Ham
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Restaurant Style Steak
- Baked Chicken Tenders
- Roasted Pork Tenderloin
- Dutch Oven Herb Butter Turkey Breast
- Simple Tender Whole Turkey (by The Fresh Cooky)
How To Make Gravy From Scratch
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp salted butter
- 5 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1 chicken bouillon
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a pot, melt butter on medium heat. Once butter is melted (not brown or burned), add flour.
- Use a whisk to whisk flour and butter, then slowly add chicken stock to pot while whisking. Add chicken bouillon and Worcestershire sauce.
- Bring to a boil, then let it simmer under medium low heat for 3-5 minutes, or until gravy thickens to desired thickness. Add more chicken stock to thin out gravy, or more flour to thicken if needed.
- Taste gravy, and add salt and black pepper to taste.
- Pour into gravy boat and serve! Enjoy!
I love that you don’t need pan drippings. Can I using more chicken stock instead of chicken bouillon. How much more chicken stock should I add?
I wouldn’t substitute more chicken stock for chicken bouillon because chicken bouillon is packed full of flavor whereas chicken stock does not have much flavor. Chicken bouillon brings a lot of the flavor to the gravy if you do not use drippings, so you’ll want to use that if not your gravy will be very bland.
Looks easy, sounds good.
I hope you love it!!!
Delicious and easy to make
Thank you! Glad to know that you enjoyed the recipe <3